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SERVING S ERV RVING BOONE COUNTY SINCE 1891
THE T HE
Lebanon Reporter
WWW.REPORTER.NET ER.NET
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2018
Riner wins Boone County Council District 2 seat
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NEW JUDGE IN TOWN Schein takes judge nomination by slim margin BY JARRED MEEKS J A R R E D. M E E KS @ T I M E S S E N T I N E L .C O M
BY MARIA FLORA M A R I A . F LO R A @ R E P O R T E R . N E T
John Riner of Jamestown won the four-way Republican race for Boone County Council District 2. He beat Jim Love of Lebanon, Gerald “Jerry” Mennen of Kirklin and Wayne Kinderman of Thorntown. No D emo c r at s sought the seat left vacant when incumbent Councilman John Hume did not seek re-election. Riner said before the election that his goal “is to be fiscally John Riner responsible for the citizens of Boone County with an eye toward the future growth and infrastructure of our community. “The county is going to grow, but there’s no need of giving away the store to make it grow. As long as they’re bringing good paying jobs and benefits, but other than that, I don’t see tax abatement as a great thing to give for a minimum wage job.” Riner believes the Boone County Council and Commissioners are correct in fighting a property tax assessment appeal filed by the Whitestown Meijer store. The store’s appeal could result in millions of lost tax revenue for the county. Riner has farmed more than 50 years and owns and operates Riner Enterprises, which sells and services Dixie Chopper and Husqvarna lawn mowers. He is married to Kathy Riner, a teacher at Granville Wells Elementary School.
Voter turnout increases for primary election
Boone County residents chose Lori Schein to be the Republican candidate for Boone County Circuit Court Judge by a 41-vote margin Tuesday. Schein, Todd Meyer and Tamie Morog vied for the position during Tuesday’s primary election, ahead of the fall general election. Schein won with 3,478 votes, 41.38 percent of the turnout. Meyer, just behind, captured 3,437, 40.89 percent of the turnout. Meyer led the vote through nine of the first 10 voting centers to report votes. But the last voting center to report was Zionsville Presbyterian Church, the church Schein attends. When the last votes were tallied and displayed on a projector in the Boone County Courthouse, Schein a nd her supporters erupted in celebration. Meyer and Schein, previously worked together. Meyer is in his fourth elected term as Boone County Prosecutor. And Schein, until the end of 2016, held the position of chief administrative deputy prosecutor within the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office. Schein said she and her team ran a “clean race” and commended the three candidates for running a “positive campaign,” avoiding negatively-fueled attacks against each other. Overall, she said the race was “humbling.” Rounding out the remainder of the race was Tamie Morog, who captured 1,491 votes, 17.74 percent of the turnout. The vote comes after Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Edens announced he would not seek re-election. See JUDGE on 11
JOHN FLORA | LEBANON REPORTER
JUDGE NOMINEE: Lori Schein learns she earned the Republican nomination for Boone County Circuit Court Judge on Tuesday night in the Boone County Courthouse.
BY JARRED MEEKS J A R R E D. M E E KS @ T I M E S S E N T I N E L .C O M
More than 10,000 Boone County registered voters cast ballots Tuesday, an increase from the primary election of 2014. With a turnout of 10,336 voters, 21.51 percent of registered voters cast votes in this year’s primary elections. In 2014, the year of the last non-presidential primary election, 7,185 Boone County residents voted in the primary election, 16.31 percent of all registered voters in the county. Of the votes cast Tuesday, more than 25 percent came from Zionsville Town Hall, the busiest voting center in the county, Boone County Clerk Jessica Fouts said. In the days and weeks preceding the primary election, 2,621 walk-in votes were counted by way of early voting, county officials said. An additional 231 early votes were filed by mail. “I was expecting a low turnout,” See TURNOUT on 11
Nielsen wins second nod as Boone County Sheriff BY LEEANN DOERFLEIN LEE ANN.DOERFLEIN @ REPORTER.NET
Boone County Sheriff Mike Nielsen will return for a second term, after he won with 82 percent of the vote over challenger Michael C. Greene, who earned 17 percent of the vote. Nielsen has worked in law enforcement since 1983 and with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office since ‘94. Chief deputy at the time, Nielsen was first appointed to finish out the remainder of former Sheriff Ken Campbell’s term in 2014. He then was elected in 2015 to the term he is now finishing. Greene is a former Boone County Sheriff’s deputy and current Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy who fulfilled a life-long dream by running for sheriff this year. Greene
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
“Regardless of who wins, an election should be a time for optimism and fresh approaches.” GARY JOHNSON
said in April he will run again, if not victorious this time. Greene was not available for comment as of press time Tuesday night. Nielsen said his second term will be a continuation of the first. He said the overwhelming support from voters shows that his administration is making a difference for Boone County. Nielsen credits his supporters for setting him up for success in the election and BCSO employees for making sure the department runs smoothly. “None of this would be possible without them,” he said. “This is where our strength lies.” Nielsen said he plans to continue LEEANN DOERFLEIN | LEBANON REPORTER with his five-year plan. Some elements of that plan are getting new AWAITING RESULTS: Sheriff Mike Nielsen (center) and his See NIELSEN on 11
wife Linda (right) await results at the Boone County Courthouse Tuesday.
VISITATIONS AND SERVICES
TODAY’S INDEX
Doris “Sandy” Knapp-Neese — Services: 2 p.m. Thursday, Strawmyer & Drury Mortuary, 2400 N. Lebanon St. Visitation: Two hours prior to the service at the funeral home. Irma Lee Adams — Services: 11 a.m. Saturday, Oak Hill Cemetery, 935 E. Washington St., Lebanon.
Sports ............... 6-7 Seniors...........12-13
Classifieds ...... 8-10 Comics ..................5
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WEATHER
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Today: Scattered storms, with a high of 83
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Obituaries ...........14 Opinion..................4
Vol. 127, No. 151 Lebanon Reporter